I will admit it, I (formerly) was a Starbucks Gold Card member. I had the app on my iPhone and it made getting my caffeine fix easy… and there is a Starbucks on every corner. Almost every where you go in the city, you see people holding Starbucks in their hands. Starbucks has become a status symbol; brand loyalty exists because they have become the face of coffee. The kleenex of coffee, if you will. Previously, I thought their lattes were better than Dunkin Donuts because the Starbucks espresso seemed to taste stronger. Mistakenly, I considered both Dunkin and McDonalds lattes to be more artificial, as Starbucks has successfully created an “experience” over just getting a coffee. Starbucks would probably argue their beans are better, but their coffee drinks do not actually contain higher quality ingredients than the former two, but they do charge more. I walked away from Starbucks about a year ago and I don’t miss it. It wasn’t until I started reading labels and being a...

The World Health Organization has announced that they will change their sugar recommendations. Upon hearing the news, it sounded as if The WHO had lowered the recommended sugar intake by 50%, but it may not be their official stance. According to BBC News, this recommendation isn’t set. Announcing the new draft measures, the WHO said in a statement: “WHO’s current recommendation, from 2002, is that sugars should make up less than 10% of total energy intake per day. “The new draft guideline also proposes that sugars should be less than 10% of total energy intake per day. “It further suggests that a reduction to below 5% of total energy intake per day would have additional benefits.” Dr Francesco Branca, WHO’s nutrition director, told a news conference that the 10% target was a “strong recommendation” while the 5% target was “conditional”, based on current evidence. “We should aim for 5% if we can,” he added. The plans will now go for public consultation, with firm recommendations expected this summer. Considering...

“Let food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food.” ~ Hippocrates. Although it has been awhile since I have posted, I didn’t fall off the wagon, and I’m still reading lots of articles and books. I have become fascinated with how nutrition can and does affect your health. I have entrenched myself into nutrition. I have become amazed and at the same time, shocked just how antiquated so much about nutrition, health and medicine actually is. Nutrition is subjective. Food is personal. As I have learned from all my research and personal interactions, food can be as controversial and combative as politics! Some may call reading food labels and not buying or consuming certain foods, time consuming or extreme. I like to view it as being an informed consumer. Some will view information as scare tactics. But what should be frightening is what is actually in the food, not the fact that someone is telling you about it. The world is not static. It is ever changing....

This recipe is by far my favorite one. Almond Milk Ingredients: 1 cup Organic, raw almonds (soaked overnight) 3 cups Filtered water Nut bag (http://www.vt-fiddle.com/rawfood/nut_milk_bags_sprouting_bags.php) Funnel Optional: Organic Medjool dates (2-3, pitted and soaked) Vanilla bean or 1-2 splashes of organic Vanilla Extract (Avoid imitation vanilla- yuck) I use my Vitamix, but I actually tried making it with a blender and it worked too. Directions: Add (1) cup almonds and (3) cups water.If you use the dates or vanilla- add that too Blend for 1-2 minutes. *I actually make a double batch every time. Pour into nut bag and strain over bowl. Before I bought my nut bag, I used cheese cloth, but truly, it isn’t as good that way- too much pulp. Invest in nut bags and you can use them over and over. Gently squeeze the bag to extract the milk I usually then pour the strained almond milk back into my vitamix pitcher and then use a silicone funnel and pour it into glass pitcher You...

“Milk, it does a body good”~ the milk industry. Milk is an ingrained staple in American culture. It is the symbol of healthy bones. Although I am actually a tad astounded just how much push back I encounter if I mention to someone I am removing dairy from my diet. If you don’t drink milk, how will you get calcium? Upon researching milk and its nutritional benefits, it was surprising to learn that perhaps milk isn’t as good as the dairy industry, the food pyramid and conventional nutrition says. I just started reading T. Colin Campbell’s book, The China Study. “He who does not know food, how can he understand the disease of man?” ~ Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine “What we don’t know- what we don’t understand- about nutrition can hurt us”~ T. Colin Campbell My friend intrigued me to read this by telling me about how she learned that the countries that have the lowest dairy intake (Asia & Africa) have the lowest incidences of osteoporosis/ bone...

Love pizza but want a gluten-free option that actually taste good? Well, after scouring several recipes, I combined a few of them together and made a delicious pizza… with Cauliflower. It got approval from the 6 year old! Ingredients: Crust Organic Cauliflower – about 1 large head (2 small heads) 1 Organic Egg- slightly beaten 3/4 cup Organic Mozzarella Cheese- shredded (Organic Valley) 2 tablespoons of Organic Parmesan Cheese- shredded (Organic Valley) 1 Teaspoon Pizza Seasoning or 1 teaspoon organic Oregano pinch of Himalayan Sea Salt Pizza: Pizza Sauce (I love Eden’s Organic Pizza Sauce) http://www.vitacost.com/eden-foods-pizza-pasta-sauce-old-italian-14-oz-each-pack-of-2 Mozzarella Cheese (1/4 cup) Any toppings: I used Applegate’s pepperoni & organic red pepper slices Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with Parchment Paper (http://www.amazon.com/If-You-Care-Certified-Parchment/dp/B001T6JTMY). I don’t have a food-processor, but probably need to suck it up and buy one. For this recipe, I used my vitamix to pulse up the cauliflower. Pulse the Cauliflower in food processor, until it is rice-like Fill large pot with about an inch of...